Meet My Dad....

William Glenn Leach Sr., husband of 49 years, father of 8. My cute ol' dad...what a guy! He has such a great sense of humor. I love it when we get in our many laughing spells & pretty soon he's crying from laughing so hard. His family means the world to him! As much we put him through the ringer (and I can't even begin to say that was more than any parent should have to deal with!), he still managed to do whatever he had to do for his kids! He taught us the importance of working hard...as he still continues to do so himself! He also knows how to take life in stride & how to look at the bright side of things! As I think about memories that stand out over the years, a few things immediately come to mind. Like our many lunch dates to Ben's Cafe...I believe he has been his #1 customer over the years!! Back in high school, it was a place where the punkers liked to hang out too. That didn't seem to bother him a bit, he would even introduce himself & get to know them...always giving everyone a chance. And though I was a tough teenager, we could always still relate by sitting down and watching an episode of M*A*S*H together. When we took this fabulous family vacation one Christmas to California, Canada & Mexico (yes, all in one trip...forget the fact we should have been back in school :})..he made sure to show us things like how the poor lived in their cardboard houses. Which showed us that as hard as life gets, there are others suffering much more & we should appreciate what we have! One tradition he has is saving all his change & then dividing it up at the kid's annual Christmas party to split amongst them. He has also given them each a "Grandpa Time Ticket" for Christmas, for them to use however they please over the next year. Which is really the best gift you could ask for...time with Grandpa! EVERY holiday is a big deal at the Leach house....something he instilled in me for sure! And if you wonder where I get my "doodling" from...well, guess who? The white board on the fridge always had some kind of fun drawing, and of course that infamous smiley face! And so did our school lunch bags every day! I'm fortunate to have such a loving & caring father! So Dad....here's to you!! Love ya lots, thanks for putting up with us!! :}